Religion – Christian Research Institutehttp://www.equip.org
EQUIP, Christian Research Institute, The Bible Answer Man, Equip AppFri, 09 Dec 2016 05:01:09 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.135687637Is Kabbalah consistent with Christianity?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-kabbalah-consistent-with-christianity/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-kabbalah-consistent-with-christianity/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 18:09:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/is-kabbalah-consistent-with-christianity/Kabbalah is a form of Jewish mysticism that is being packaged and popularized for Western consumption. Leading the “red string” craze are such celebrities as Madonna and Demi Moore. In the final analysis Kabbalah is just one more dish in a smorgasbord of popular religions that distort the true meaning of Scripture and oppose the gospel of Christ.

First, Kabbalists search for mystical meanings and messages in the Torah that allegedly have power to remedy personal and social ills. Indeed, Kabbalists believe that through Kabbalah the unfettered communion with God experienced in Eden can be regained. As such, Kabbalism has more in common with the esotericism of Gnostic cults than with orthodox Christianity.

Furthermore, “Ein Sof”—the dualistic and ultimately unknowable deity of Kabbalah—bears little resemblance to the God of the Bible. Unlike Ein Sof, the Everlasting Sovereign is perfect in unity and simplicity and has ultimately revealed himself through Jesus Christ (cf. John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1). Kabbalah is just one more dish in a smorgasbord of popular religions that distort the true meaning of Scripture and oppose the gospel of Christ.

Finally, Kabbalah holds to reincarnation, which can never be reconciled with the Christian hope of resurrection. The biblical teaching of one body per person alone demonstrates that the gulf between reincarnation and resurrection can never be bridged. Far from the transmigration of our soul into another body, Christianity holds that Christ will transform our body like unto his resurrected body (cf. 1 Corinthians 15).

For further study, see Marcia Montenegro, “Kabbalah: Getting Back to the Garden,” Christian Research Journal, 28, 2 (2005): 12–21.

“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”John 1:18

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-kabbalah-consistent-with-christianity/feed/07995What is Judaism?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-judaism/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-judaism/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 18:08:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/what-is-judaism/While Judaism finds its genesis in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, its modern-day expression is largely a function of the destruction of the temple in AD 70. As such, Judaism now finds expression in Torah study rather than temple sacrifice. The three main branches of Judaism are Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative.

First, Orthodox Judaism (Torah Judaism) is best known for its strict dedication to the eternal and unalterable Mosaic Law as reinterpreted by rabbis subsequent to the fall of Jerusalem. Only through devotion to the complex code of Jewish law (Halakhah) can one experience nearness to God. Orthodox Jews await a rebuilt temple, a Jewish Messiah who will restore the kingdom to Israel, and the physical resurrection of the dead. Ironically, it is possible to be an Orthodox Jew and yet not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Furthermore, unlike Orthodox Judaism, which teaches that observance of the Law leads to freedom, Reform Judaism (Liberal) begins with the freedom to decide what Law to observe. In other words, human autonomy trumps the authority of Halakhah. As a movement arising in the eighteenth century, Reform Judaism seeks to adapt to the modern world in order to preserve Jewish identity amidst pressures of assimilation. Thus, Reform Judaism is reformed and always reforming.

Finally, Conservative Judaism (Historical) is a late–nineteenth-century reaction to the liberal tendencies inherent in Reform Judaism. As such, Conservative Judaism forges a middle way between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. On the one hand, adherents embrace modern culture. On the other, they observe Jewish laws and customs without the fundamentalistic fervor of the Orthodox.

Regardless of the religious affiliation of those to whom we are witnessing, our duty is to demonstrate the reality of Jesus Christ through the testimony of our love, our life, and our lips. For as the apostle Paul explains, the gospel of Jesus Christ “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Romans 1:16–17).

For further study, see Richard Robinson, “Understanding Judaism: How to Share the Gospel with Your Jewish Friends,” Christian Research Journal, 19, 4, (1997), available through the Christian Research Institute (CRI) at http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/.

“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you
while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled
that is written about me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms.’”Luke 24:44

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-judaism/feed/07996Is Oneness Pentecostalism biblical?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-oneness-pentecostalism-biblical/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-oneness-pentecostalism-biblical/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 18:06:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/is-oneness-pentecostalism-biblical/According to the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (DPCM), “Oneness Pentecostalism (OP) is a religious movement that emerged in 1914 within the Assemblies of God (AG) of the early American Pentecostal movement, challenging the traditional Trinitarian doctrine, and baptismal practice with a modalistic view of God, a revelational theory of the name of Jesus, and an insistence on rebaptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

First, Oneness Pentecostals believe that unless you are baptized using the correct formula you are not truly saved. In their view the formula is, “I baptize you in the name of Jesus” not “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Conversely, when Peter says we are to be baptized “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 2:38) or when Jesus says we are to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), they were not prescribing different formulas. Rather, they were saying that we are baptized by the authority vested in the one true God revealed in Scripture. Thus to be baptized in the name of Jesus is to be baptized on the basis of our belief in his death, burial, and resurrection.

By way of analogy, when a police officer commands someone to “stop in the name of the law” the power is not in the phrase, but in the authority it signifies. Likewise, when a physician provides someone who is sick with a prescription, their trust is not in the paper on which it is penned, but rather the potion to which it points. So it is with baptism. The power is not in a prescribed formula but in the heavenly physician to whom the act of baptism points. Baptism is not essential for salvation; it is, however, essential to obedience.

Furthermore, error begets error; thus the belief that one must be baptized only in the name of Jesus has led Oneness Pentecostalism to the further error that Jesus is himself the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They do not hold to one God revealed in three persons who are eternally distinct but to three manifestations of one God revealed in Jesus. Indeed, according to Oneness, the doctrine of the Trinity is pagan polytheistic philosophy.
In truth, the Trinity is neither pagan polytheism nor pagan philosophy. Rather it is biblically based. Scripture plainly reveals personal self–distinctions within the Godhead. As such, the Father says of the Son, “Your throne, O God will last for ever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8); and the Son says of the Father, “I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the father, who sent me” (John 8:18). Moreover, the very fact that Jesus prays to the Father demonstrates that Jesus cannot be the Father. While I am frequently told by Oneness adherents that this is explained by the notion that Jesus’ human nature prays to his divine nature this is clearly not the case—natures can’t pray, only persons can.

Finally, Oneness Pentecostalism holds to a litany of legalistic proscriptions including the test of rebaptism by their formula with evidence of speaking in tongues. No tongues, no salvation. As one can imagine, this has placed tremendous socio–psychological pressure on adherents to conjure up the gift of tongues. Those who do not speak in tongues are thought to be lacking in faith or even to be entirely unrepentant.

In sharp distinction, the Bible relates baptism in the Spirit to empowering for service (Acts 1:5–8) rather than evidence for salvation. In the words of Jesus to his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The disciples were not still awaiting salvation; rather, they awaited a special anointing of the Holy Spirit that would serve as evidence that their evangelistic message was not of men, but of God (cf. Acts 2:14–21; 1 Corinthians 14:22).

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”Matthew 28:18–20

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-oneness-pentecostalism-biblical/feed/07997Does Mormonism REALLY teach that Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/does-mormonism-really-teach-that-jesus-is-the-spirit-brother-of-satan/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/does-mormonism-really-teach-that-jesus-is-the-spirit-brother-of-satan/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 18:04:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/does-mormonism-really-teach-that-jesus-is-the-spirit-brother-of-satan/To begin with, according to official Mormon teaching, Jesus Christ is the first spirit child conceived and begotten by Heavenly Father and one of Heavenly Father’s many wives (commonly referred to as “Heavenly Mother”). Just as Heavenly Father before him progressed to godhood, so Jesus progressed through obedience to the status of a god (prior to his incarnation on earth). In the words of the late Mormon Apostle and General Authority Bruce McConkie, Jesus Christ through obedience and devotion “attained that pinnacle of intelligence which ranked him as a God.” As such, according to LDS authorities, Jesus is not to be worshiped or prayed to as one would worship or pray to Heavenly Father.

Furthermore, Mormons teach that Heavenly Father subsequently had other spirit children. We ourselves are thought to be spirit children of Father God and Mother God. As such, Mormons refer to Jesus as our “Elder brother.” As the official LDS teacher’s manual Gospel Principles explains, “We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, ‘Whom shall I send?’ (Abraham 3:27). Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, ‘Here am I, send me’” (emphasis added).

Finally, it stands to reason that if Jesus is the first spirit child conceived and begotten by Heavenly Father; and if Heavenly Father and Mother subsequently conceived other spirit children including Satan; then Jesus and Satan logically are spirit brothers. While LDS spokespersons sometimes obfuscate this fundamental Mormon teaching, apostles of the Mormon Church and current official LDS publications clearly affirm it. As explained by the Mormon publication Ensign, “On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some— especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers.”

In sharp contrast to Mormon Christology, the biblical witness is clear and convincing: Jesus Christ is the eternal Creator God (John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1; Revelation 1). Paul explicitly teaches that Jesus is the creator of all, including the angelic realm to which Satan belongs (Colossians 1:15–16; cf. John 1:3). Jesus is thus Satan’s creator, not his spirit brother.

For further study, see “Is Mormonism Christian?” p. 253; and “Is the Book of Mormon credible?” p. 257; and Hank Hanegraaff, The Mormon Mirage: Seeing Through the Illusion of Mainstream Mormonism (Charlotte: Christian Research Institute, 2008).

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”Colossians 1:15–16

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/does-mormonism-really-teach-that-jesus-is-the-spirit-brother-of-satan/feed/07998Is Mormonism Christian?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-mormonism-christian/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-mormonism-christian/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 18:01:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/is-mormonism-christian/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was birthed in 1820 by an alleged vision in which two celestial personages appeared to Joseph Smith claiming all existing churches were wrong, all their creeds were an abomination, and all their professors were corrupt. According to these personages, Smith had been chosen to restore—not reform—a church that had disappeared from the face of the earth. The Mormon doctrines that evolved from this vision compromise, confuse, or contradict the nature of God, the authority of Scripture, and the way of salvation.

First, while Christians believe that God is spirit (John 4:24), Joseph Smith taught, “God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!” Mormonism also holds to a plurality of gods and contends that “as man is, God once was; as God is, man may become.” Additionally, the Latter-day Saints compromise the nature of the God-man, Jesus Christ. In Christianity, Jesus is the self-existent creator of all things (Colossians 1:15–20). In Mormonism, he is the spirit brother of Lucifer who was conceived in heaven by a celestial Mother and came in flesh as the result of the Father having sex with the Virgin Mary. Doctrinal perversions exclude Mormonism from rightly being called Christian.

Furthermore, in sharp distinction to orthodox Christian theology, Mormons do not believe that the Bible is the infallible repository for redemptive revelation (2 Timothy 3:16). In their view, the Book of Mormon is “the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion.” Two further revelations complete the Mormon quad, namely Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of divine revelations that includes the doctrine of polygamy. Not until threatened by the Federal government did Mormon president Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation relegating polygamy to the afterlife. The Pearl of Great Price is no less troubling; this extra-biblical revelation was used by Mormonism to prevent African-Americans from entering the priesthood and from being exalted to godhood.

Finally, while Christians believe that they will stand before God dressed in the spotless robes of Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:21–22; Philippians 3:9), Mormons contend that they will appear before Heavenly Father dressed in fig-leaf aprons holding good works in their hands. According to the Latter-day Saints, virtually everyone qualifies for heaven. Murderers, unrepentant whoremongers, and the world’s vilest people make it into the Telestial heaven; lukewarm Mormons, religious people, and those who accept the Mormon gospel in the spirit world typically enter the Terrestrial heaven; and temple Mormons make it to the Celestial heaven. Only those who are sealed in secret temple rituals, however, will make it to the third level of the Celestial kingdom and become gods of their own planets.

These and many other doctrinal perversions exclude Mormonism from rightly being called Christian.

For further study, see Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods (New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2003); and James R. White, Is the Mormon My Brother? (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1997).

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me and understand
that I am he. Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.”
Isaiah 43:10

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-mormonism-christian/feed/08000Is the New World Translation of the Bible credible?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-the-new-world-translation-of-the-bible-credible/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-the-new-world-translation-of-the-bible-credible/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 17:58:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/is-the-new-world-translation-of-the-bible-credible/Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that the New World Translation (NWT) is the “work of competent scholars.” Conversely, they contend that other Bible translations are corrupted by religious traditions that are rooted in paganism. In reality, the NWT is the work of a Bible Translation Committee with no working knowledge of biblical languages. Their bias is so blatant that Dr. Bruce Metzger, professor of New Testament at Princeton, not only characterized the NWT as a “frightful mistranslation” but as “erroneous,” “pernicious,” and “reprehensible.”

First, the NWT mistranslates the Greek Scriptures in order to expunge the deity of Jesus Christ. Against all credible scholarship, Jesus is downgraded from God to “a” god in John 1 and demoted from the Creator of all things to a mere creature who created all other things in Colossians 1. According to the translation committee of the Watchtower Society, Jesus was created by God as the archangel Michael, during his earthly sojourn was merely human, and after his crucifixion was recreated an immaterial spirit creature.

Furthermore, the Translation Committee has sought to conform the NWT to their religious traditions by replacing the cross of Christ with a torture stake. Matthew 10:38, for example, has been altered to read, “And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me.” In Watchtower lore, the cross is a pagan symbol adopted by an apostate Christianity when Satan took control of the early church. Jehovah’s Witnesses view wearing a cross as a blatant act of idolatry. Conversely, Christians wear crosses as a reminder of what was at once the most brutal and beautiful act in redemptive history.

Finally, the Watchtower Society claims that the Christian Scriptures have “been tampered with” in order to eliminate the name Jehovah from the text. In reality, it is the Translation Committee of the NWT that can rightly be accused of tampering. In well over two hundred cases the name Jehovah has been gratuitously inserted into the New Testament text. In passages such as Romans 10:13 this is done to obscure the unique deity of Christ. In other passages, it is done under the pretext that referring to God as Lord rather than Jehovah is patently pagan. Ironically, in The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Watchtower translators themselves fall into this “pagan” practice by translating the Greek word kurios as Lord even in cases where it specifically refers to the Father.

For these and a host of other reasons, Greek scholars across the board denounce the NWT. Dr. Julius Mantey, author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, called the NWT a “shocking mistranslation,” and Dr. William Barclay characterized the translators themselves as “intellectually dishonest.”

For further study, see David A. Reed, Answering Jehovah‘s Witnesses: Subject by Subject (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996).

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy
of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God
will add to him the plagues described in this book.
And if anyone takes words away from this book
of prophecy, God will take away from him
his share in the tree of life and in the holy city,
which are described in this book.”Revelation 22:18–19

(See also Deuteronomy 4:2)

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-the-new-world-translation-of-the-bible-credible/feed/08001Are Jehovah’s Witnesses Christian?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/are-jehovahs-witnesses-christian-2/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/are-jehovahs-witnesses-christian-2/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 17:54:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/are-jehovahs-witnesses-christian-2/Like Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Christianity died with the last of the apostles. They believe Christianity was not resurrected until their founder, Charles Taze Russell, began organizing the Watchtower Society in the 1870s. In their view the cross is a pagan symbol adopted by an apostate church and salvation is impossible apart from the Watchtower. While the Witnesses on your doorstep consider themselves to be the only authentic expression of Christianity, the Society they serve compromises, confuses, or contradicts essential Christian doctrine.

First, the Watchtower Society compromises the nature of God. They teach their devotees that the Trinity is a “freakish-looking, three headed God” invented by Satan and that Jesus is merely a god. In Watchtower theology Jesus was created by God as the archangel Michael, during his earthly sojourn became merely human, and after his crucifixion was re-created an immaterial spirit creature. JWs also deny the physical resurrection of Jesus. According to Russell, the body that hung on a torture stake either “dissolved into gasses” or is “preserved somewhere as the grand memorial of God’s love.”

Furthermore, while Christians believe all believers will spend eternity with Christ in “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1; 22:17) the Watchtower teaches that only 144,000 people will make it to heaven while the rest of the faithful will live apart from Christ on earth. Thus in Watchtower lore there is a “little flock” of 144,000 who get to go to heaven and a “great crowd” of others who are relegated to earth. The heavenly class are born again, receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and partake of communion; the earthly class do not. To substantiate the notion that heaven’s door was closed irrevocably in 1935, JWs point to “flashes of prophetic light” received by Joseph F. Rutherford at a JW convention in Washington D.C. Other false “flashes of prophetic light” include Watchtower predictions of end-time cataclysms that were to occur in 1914 . . . 1918 . . . 1925 . . . 1975.

Finally, under the threat of being “disfellowshipped,” Jehovah’s Witnesses are barred from celebrating Christmas, birthdays, or holidays such as Thanksgiving and Good Friday. Even more troubling are Watchtower regulations regarding vaccinations, organ transplants, and blood transfusions. In 1931, JWs were instructed to refuse vaccinations—by 1952, this regulation was rescinded. In 1967, organ transplants were ruled a forbidden form of cannibalism—by 1980, this edict was erased. In 1909, the Watchtower produced a prohibition against blood transfusions. No doubt, this too will one day become a relic of the past. In the meantime, tens of thousands have not only been ravished spiritually by the Watchtower Society but have paid the ultimate physical price as well.
While Watchtower adherents are often willing to do more for a lie than Christians are willing to do for the truth, these and a host of other doctrinal perversions keep JWs from rightly being considered Christian.

For further study, see Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah’s Witnesses (Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House Publishers, 1993).

“If what a prophet proclaims in the name
of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a
message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has
spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”Deuteronomy 18:22

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/are-jehovahs-witnesses-christian-2/feed/08002What is a cult?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-a-cult/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-a-cult/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 17:53:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/what-is-a-cult/Larry King asked me this very question after thirty-nine people took their lives in the largest mass suicide in U.S. history. He went on to ask whether Christianity might legitimately be referred to as a cult. As I explained on Larry King Live the word “cult” has various connotations.

First, a cult may be defined sociologically. From this perspective, a cult is a religious or semi-religious sect whose followers are controlled by strong leadership in virtually every dimension of their lives. Devotees characteristically display a displaced loyalty for the guru and the group and are galvanized together through physical and/or psychological intimidation tactics. This kind of cultist more often than not displays a “we/they” siege mentality and has been cut off from all former associations including their immediate families.

Furthermore, a cult may be defined theologically. In this sense a cult can be a pseudo-Christian organization that claims to be Christian but compromises, confuses, or contradicts essential Christian doctrine. Such cults operate under the guise of Christianity but deviate from the orthodox teachings of the historic Christian faith as codified in the ancient ecumenical creeds. Typically, devotees become masters at taking texts out of context to develop pretexts for their theological perversions.

Finally, I should note that although the media-driven culture has given the term “cult” an exclusively pejorative connotation, denotatively the word “cult” can be broadly defined as a group of people centered around a religious belief structure. As such, Christianity might rightly be referred to as a cult of Old Testament Judaism. In fact, the Latin verb cultus from which we derive the word “cult” simply means to worship a deity. Thus, in dealing with cults it is crucial to be diligent in defining terms.

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, Counterfeit Revival, rev. ed. (Nashville:Word Publishing Group, 2001), part 5; and Ron Rhodes, The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001).

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived
by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be
led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
For if someone comes to you and preaches a
Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive
a different spirit from the one you received,
or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put
up with it easily enough.”2 Corinthians 11:3–4

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-a-cult/feed/08003How were people who lived before the time of Christ saved?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/how-were-people-who-lived-before-the-time-of-christ-saved/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/how-were-people-who-lived-before-the-time-of-christ-saved/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 17:49:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/how-were-people-who-lived-before-the-time-of-christ-saved/Some say that those who lived before the time of Christ were saved by keeping the law. The Scriptures, however, say otherwise. First, the Bible from first to last demonstrates that the saved throughout history come to faith in exactly the same way—by grace alone through faith alone on account of Christ alone. The apostle Paul quotes the Old Testament extensively to drive home the reality that no one has been, or ever will be, declared righteous by observing the law (Romans 3:20).

Furthermore, Paul points to Abraham, the father of the Jews, to prove that salvation comes through faith apart from works that we perform. In his words, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’” (Romans 4:3; Genesis 15:6; Galatians 3:6–9).

Finally, Jesus Christ is the substance that fulfills the types and shadows in the Old Testament (Luke 24:44; Romans 3:21–22; Hebrews 1:1–3). Each year the Jews celebrated the Passover to keep them focused on the One who was to come to die for their sins (1 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:28, 39–40). As Hebrews says, “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the realities themselves” (Hebrews 10:1). The Bible from first to last demonstrates that the saved throughout history come to faith in exactly the same way—by grace alone through faith alone on account of Christ alone.

Jesus Christ stands at the apex of history. Just as people today look back in history to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, so too people who lived before the time of Christ looked forward to his sacrifice for them.

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/how-were-people-who-lived-before-the-time-of-christ-saved/feed/08004Don’t all religions lead to God?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/dont-all-religions-lead-to-god/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/dont-all-religions-lead-to-god/#respondFri, 08 Oct 2010 14:32:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/dont-all-religions-lead-to-god/Before answering this question, a word of warning is in order: Anyone who answers in the negative may well be ostracized for being narrow-minded and intolerant. That being said, my answer is, “No, not all religions lead to God, and it is incorrect and illogical to maintain that they do.”

First, when you begin to examine world religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, you will immediately recognize that they directly contradict one another. For example, Moses taught that there was only one God; Krishna believed in many gods; and Buddha was agnostic. Logically, they can all be wrong but they can’t all be right.

Furthermore, the road of religion leads steeply uphill, while the road of Christianity descends downward. Put another way, Religion is fallen humanity’s attempt to reach up and become acceptable to God through what we do; Christianity, on the other hand, is a divine gift based on what Christ has done. He lived the perfect life that we could never live and offers us his perfection as an absolutely free gift.

Finally, Jesus taught that there was only one way to God. “I am the way and the truth and the life,” said Jesus, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, emphasis added). Moreover, Jesus validated his claim through the immutable fact of his resurrection. The opinions of all other religious leaders are equally valid in that they are equally worthless. They died and are still dead. Only Jesus had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. Thus, his opinion is infinitely more valid than theirs.

For further study, see John MacArthur, Why One Way? Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2002); and Ronald Nash, Is Jesus the Only Savior? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994).

“Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved.”Acts 4:12

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/dont-all-religions-lead-to-god/feed/08006What distinguishes Christianity from other religions?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-distinguishes-christianity-from-other-religions/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-distinguishes-christianity-from-other-religions/#respondFri, 08 Oct 2010 14:31:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/what-distinguishes-christianity-from-other-religions/Christianity is unique among the religions of the world for several reasons. First, unlike other religions, Christianity is rooted in history and evidence. Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of Caesar Augustus and was put to death by Pontius Pilate, a first-century Roman governor. The testimony of his life, death, and resurrection is validated both by credible eyewitness testimony and by credible extra-biblical evidence as well. No other religion can legitimately claim this kind of support from history and evidence.

Furthermore, of all the influential religious leaders of the world (Buddha, Moses, Zoroaster, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Muhammad, Baha’u’llah), only Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh (Mark 14:62). And this was not an empty boast. For through the historically verifiable fact of the resurrection, Christ vindicated his claim to deity (Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8). Other religions, such as Buddhism and Islam, claim miracles in support of their faith; however, unlike Christianity, such miracles lack historical validation.

Finally, Christianity is unique in that it is a coherent belief structure. Some Christian doctrines may transcend comprehension; however, unlike the claims of other religions, they are never irrational or contradictory. Christianity is also unique in that it cogently accounts for the vast array of phenomena we encounter in everyday life: the human mind, laws of science, laws of logic, ethical norms, justice, love, meaning in life, the problem of evil and suffering, and truth. In other words, Christianity corresponds with the reality of our present condition.

“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”2 Peter 1:16

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-distinguishes-christianity-from-other-religions/feed/08007Is religion the root of all evil?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-religion-the-root-of-all-evil/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-religion-the-root-of-all-evil/#respondThu, 30 Sep 2010 13:52:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/is-religion-the-root-of-all-evil/A common refrain sung in the twenty–first century is that religion is the root cause of the great atrocities of human history. In reality, more people died as a result of secularist ideologies in the last century alone than have died in all the religiously motivated conflicts of Western history.

First, the Nazi philosophy that Jews were subhuman and that Aryans were Supermen led to the extermination of six million Jews. In the words of Sir Arthur Keith, a militant anti–Christian physical anthropologist: “The German Fuhrer, as I have consistently maintained, is an evolutionist; he has consistently sought to make the practices of Germany conform to the theory of evolution.” Far from religiously motivated, Hitler’s “Final Solution to the Jewish problem” was grounded in the naturalistic philosophy of survival of the fittest. In fact, Hitler overtly distanced himself from Christianity, proclaiming, “I shall never come to terms with the Christian lie” and “Our epoch will certainly see the end of the disease of Christianity.”

Furthermore, the inherently atheistic utopian philosophy of communism eclipsed even the carnage of Hitler’s Germany. Karl Marx saw in philosophical naturalism the scientific and sociological support for an economic experiment that led to the mass murder of multiplied millions worldwide. Mao Tse–tung’s communist dictatorship of China accounted for the deaths of an estimated sixty–five million people, while the U.S.S.R. under Stalin saw between twenty and thirty million murdered as a result of agrarian collectivization and the Great Purge. Add to that two million Cambodians––nearly a quarter of that nation’s population—massacred by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime, and the death toll resulting from the secular ideology of communism becomes a horror beyond comprehension.More people died as a result of secularist ideologies in the last century alone than have died in all the religiously motivated conflicts of Western history.

Finally, a third ideology of modern secularism has led to even more ghastly consequences. Though not formally organized under a deranged dictator, this invisible holocaust continues to claim the lives of untold millions around the globe. Four thousand helpless victims––more than the total casualties of 9/11––die each day in the United States alone. The secularist ideology to which I refer, of course, is abortionism. Indeed, the modern bioethical holocaust has eclipsed the carnage of Nazism and communism combined.

Even apart from the ongoing genocide of the unborn, over one hundred million people died at the hands of secularist regimes during the twentieth century. Coupled with recognition of the innumerable humanitarian aid efforts motivated by religious commitments, these statistics should motivate secularists toward humble introspection, rather than haughty inculpation of religion.

For further study, see Os Guinness, Unspeakable: Facing up to Evil in an Age of Genocide and Terror (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco,2005);see also,Hank Hanegraaff,“If Christianity is true, why are so many atrocities committed in the name of Christ?” The Bible Answer Book Volume 1 (Nashville: J Countryman, 2004).

“When justice is done, it brings joy
to the righteous but terror to evildoers.”
Proverbs 21:15